Ophthalmic dispenser



Aug. 11, 1959 s. TAYLOR OPHTHALMIC DISPENSER Filed March 31, 1958INVENTOR seymourl'a ylor BY ATTORNEY OPHTHALNIIC DISPENSER SeymourTaylor, Mount Vernon, N.Y., assignor to Chas.

Pfizer 8: 60., Brooklyn, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationMarch 31, 1958, Serial No. 725,330

1 Claim. (Cl. 128-249) This invention relates to a device for dispensingdrops of a medicament into the eye and more particularly relates to sucha device in which the medicament is stored within a dispensingcontainer.

Devices have been proposed which combine the function of an eye dropperand an eye cup for conveniently dispensing drops of medicament to theeye without danger of poking the end of the eye dropper into the eye.Examples of such devices are described in US. Letters Patent 1,750,530and 2,516,818. However, when the devices shown in these patents areused, it is almost imperative that the drops are dispensed directly uponthe pupil of the eye which blinds the user at least momentarily.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for dispensing dropsof medicament into the eye without blinding the user even momentarily.

In accordance with this invention, an eye cup is mounted upon adispensing container including a nozzle which extends a short distancewithin the eye cup. This permits the nozzle to assume a position a shortdistance away from the eye ball when the cup is placed into contact withthe face of the user about the periphery of his eye ball. The outer lipof the eye cup is eccentrically disposed relative to the nozzle to causethe drops to be dispensed into a corner of the eye. This directs thefalling drops away from the pupil of the eye which prevents evenmomentary blinding of the user.

Novel features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent to one skilled in the art from a reading of the followingdescription in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in whichsimilar reference characters refer to similar parts and in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the embod'gent of this invention asinverted in use and partially broken away;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view in elevation of the embodiment shown inFigs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation of a cap for use with the embodimentsshown in Figs. 1-3.

In Fig. 1 is shown an ophthalmic dispenser in- 2,898,431 1 Patented Aug.11, 1959 eluding an outlet nozzle 12. Container 10 is constructed andarranged for ejecting drops of medicament through nozzle 12 andincorporates, for example, a plastic squeeze bottle 14 made, forexample, of polyethylene.

Suitable screw threads or other fastening devices 16 are disposed aboutthe end of squeeze bottle 14 to permit a cap 15 (Fig. 4) to be securedover the nozzle 12 to seal it.

An eye cup 18 having a base 20 and an outer lip 22, which is shaped toconform to the portion of a users face about the periphery of his eyeball, is attached to squeeze bottle 14 adjacent nozzle 12. Base 20 ofeye cup 18 is connected to the outer surface 24 of bottle 14, forexample by a force fit with the nozzle 12 extending a short distanceinto eye cup 18. This permits the nozzle to assume a position a shortdistance away from the eye ball when the cup is put into use as shown inFig. 1 with the periphery of outer lip 22-. placed in contact with theface of the user about the periphery of his eye ball.

Eye cup 18 is, for example, made of a relatively hard plastic, forexample, a hardened polyethylene or polystyrene, and base 20 is, forexample, made sufliciently elastic to snap around the outer periphery 24of bottle 14 adjacent nozzle 12.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, outer lip 22 of eye cup 18 is eccentricallydisposed relative to nozzle 12 to cause drops 26 to be dispensed into acorner of the eye ball which avoids discomfort and blinding evenmomentarily.

What is claimed is:

An ophthalmic dispenser comprising a medicament container having anoutlet nozzle, said container being constructed and arranged forejecting drops of the medicament through said nozzle, an eye cup havinga base and an outer lip which is shaped to conform to the portion of theusers face about the periphery of his eye ball, said base of said eyecup being connected to said container with said nozzle extending a shortdistance into said eye cup to permit said nozzle to assume a position ashort distance away from the eye ball when said cup is placed in contactwith the portion of the users face about the periphery of his eye ball,said outer lip of said eye cup being eccentrically disposed relative tosaid nozzle to cause said drops to be dispensed into a corner of the eyeball thereby preventing even momentary blinding of the user, saidcontainer being a plastic squeeze bottle, said base of said eye cupbeing made of an elastic material, and said base being snap fitted overa portion of said bottle adjacent said nozzle.

References Qited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,244,498 Heath Oct. 30, 1917 2,482,431 Okawa Sept. 20, 1949 2,589,178Wintle Mar. 11, 1952 2,626,606 Campbell Jan. 27, 1953

